It’s a while since I wrote my last post; kickstarting it with a positive post about my ‘passion for ponds’.
Having 3 in our garden makes me feel quite the pro 😉
A little bit about our garden
Our garden at home was originally on a steep slope, we then converted it to 3 more accessible levels. Dad started the landscaping from scratch when I was really young, it wasn’t quite a blank canvas, more an overgrown mess! Amongst many gardens we visited, a trip to a café at Monsal Head, Derbyshire inspired the stepped planting levels, that would suit our garden, rather than a traditional grass garden, surrounded by a border. I’ve always liked water, it’s that simple, the pond was going to be the last thing Dad intended to do, but because I love ponds so much, I managed to talk him into it being one of the first things we did!
Pond number 1
We started pond number one (there are 3!) back in 2013. Digging it out was a real nightmare; the ground below was full of debris, rubble, glass, and deep-set roots. We used a formed pond at this stage, because of the ground below and at that point it was going to be the only pond we would create – WRONG! We were thrilled with the outcome, pretty soon water beetles were settling in and making it their home and there were already frogs hopping round the garden.
Pond number 2
Within no time, we started to think about another pond, shaped around the first one, creating a reed and beach area, with more plants to create an even more diverse habitat. Originally, it was going to be 3 buckets with some plants in. It just shows, you can get a bit carried away with ponds and no sooner had we finished that, we already had thoughts of a third!
Pond number 3
Pond number 3 isn’t quite finished – this will be deeper still. In fact, we started digging it out on the first weekend of lockdown, March 2020. Like most things in our garden, there’s always something else to do, before you can carry on with the actual job!
Here’s a tip:
If you’re going to create a pond, just have a think about the surrounding area, for example, completion of an area that you won’t be able to reach, once the pond’s established.
George Hassall 2021 🙂
Ponds don’t have to be grand affairs, you can literally ‘dig a hole and bury a bowl’. Take a look at the mini pond I created for my one-year old neighbour, Gabriel.
I’d recommend creating a pond, whatever size, as they are a great thing to look at and wildlife will pretty much move in, within the first few days. On a sunny day, when the water’s clear and the sun is shining on it, just sit by and look at the wildlife, there’s just nothing better.
This is a family post, taken from an article we wrote for The British Dragonfly Society: Summer 2020
Coming soon……….Flora & fauna in my pond
Green Fingered George 